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Mary Austin
Mary Hunter Austin (September 9, 1868 – August 13, 1934) was an American poet, novelist, critic, and playwright, one of the early nature writers of the American southwest. Life Austin was born Mary Hunter in Carlinville, Illinois, the fourth of six children, to George and Susannah (Graham) Hunter. She graduated from Blackburn College in 1888. Her family moved to California in the same year and established a homestead in the San Joaquin Valley. She married Stafford Wallace Austin on May 18, 1891 in Bakersfield, California. He was from Hawaii and a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. For 17 years Austin made a special study of Indian life in the Mojave Desert, and her publications set forth the intimate knowledge she thus acquired. She was an early feminist and defender of Native American and Spanish-American rights. Her play, The Arrow Maker, dealing with Indian life, was produced at the New Theatre, (New York) in 1911, the same year she published a rhapsodic tribute to her acquaintance H.G. Wells as a producer of "informing, vitalizing, indispensable books" in the American Magazine. , Mary Austin, Jack London, & James Hooper in Carmel, California. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.]] Austin and her husband were involved in the local California Water Wars, in which the water of Owens Valley was eventually drained to supply Los Angeles. When their battle was lost, he moved to Death Valley, California, and she moved to Carmel, California. There she was part of a social circle that included Jack London, Ambrose Bierce, and George Sterling, and was one of the founders of the Forest Theater. After visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1918, Austin helped establish the Community Theatre there. She directed the group's first production held February 14, 1919 at the art museum's St. Francis Auditorium. In 1929, while living in New Mexico, Austin co-authored a book with photographer Ansel Adams. Published a year later, the book, Taos Pueblo, was printed in a limited edition of only 108 copies. It is now quite rare because it included actual photographs made by Adams rather than reproductions. Austin died in Santa Fe. Writing Austin is best known for her tribute to the deserts of California, The Land of Little Rain (1903), which describes the fauna, flora and people – as well as evoking the mysticism and spirituality – of the region between the Sierra Nevada and the Mojave Desert of southern California. Recognition *Mount Mary Austin, in the Sierra Nevada, was named in her honor. It is located 8.5 miles west of her longtime home in Independence, California. *A biography, Mary Austin: Woman of genius, was published in 1939.Helen McKnight Doyle, Mary Austin: Woman of Genius (New York: Gotham House, 1939). * A 1950 edition of The Land of Little Rain and a 1977 edition of Taos Pueblo each included photographs by Ansel Adams. * The Austins' home in Independence, California is now a historical landmark. It was designed and built by the couple. * A teleplay of The Land of Little Rain was written by Doris Baizley and presented on American Playhouse in 1989. It starred Helen Hunt. Publications Poetry *''The Road to the Spring: Collected poems'' (edited by James Perrin Warren). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2014. Plays * The Arrow Maker: A drama in three acts. New York: Duffield, 1911. * "Fire: A drama in three acts" in Playbook 2:5-7 (Oct. - Dec. 1914); Alexandria, VA: Alexander Street Press, 2004. Novels *''Isidro'' (illustrated by Eric Pape). Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin / Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press / London: Constable, 1905. * Santa Lucia: A common story. New York & London: Harper, 1908. *''Lost Borders. New York & London: Harper, 1909. * ''A Woman of Genius. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page, 1912. *''The Green Bough: A tale of the resurrection. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page, 1913. *The Lovely Lady. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page, 1913. *Love and the Soul Maker. New York: Appleton, 1914. * ''The Ford (illustrated by E. Boyd Smith). Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1917; Toronto: T. Allan, 1917; Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997. *''Outland. New York: Boni & Liveright, 1919. * ''No. 26 Jayne Street. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin / Cambridge, MA: Riversie Press, 1920. * Starry Adventure. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1931. * Cactus Thorn: A novella (written circa 1927). Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, 1988. Short fiction *''One-Smoke Stories''. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1934. *''Western Trails: A collection of short stories'' (edited by Melody Graulich). Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, 1987. Non-fiction * The Land of Little Rain. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1903. * The Flock. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin / London: Constable, 1906; Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press, 2001. *"Non-English Writings II: Aboriginal" in Cambridge History of American Literature: Volume XVIII. New York: Putnam / Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1907-1921. Chapter XXXII, pp.610-634."Non-English Writings II: Aboriginal" in Cambridge History of American Literature: Volume XVIII. New York: Putnam / Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, chapter XXXII, pp.610-634. Bartleby.com, Web, May 21, 2015. *''Christ in Italy: Being the adventures of a maverick among masterpieces. New York: Duffield, 1912. *California: The land of the sun'' (illustrated by Sutton Palmer). New York: Macmillan, 1914; London: A. & C. Black, 1914; **revised as The Lands of the Sun. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin / Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press, 1927. *''The Man Jesus: Being a brief account of the life and teaching of the Prophet of Nazareth. New York & London: Harper, 1915; **also published as ''A Small Town Man. New York & London: Harper, 1925. *''What the Mexican Conference Really Means: It represents desires of the people, deprived of human rights, to re-establish themselves in the scheme of social evolution. New York: Latin-American News Association, 1915? * ''The Young Woman Citizen. New York: Womans Press, 1918. * The Land of Journeys' Ending. New York & London: Century, 1924; London: Allen & Unwin, 1924; Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2003. * Everyman's Genius.Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merril, 1925. * Taos Pueblo. San Francisco: printed at the Grabhorn Press, 1930. * Experiences Facing Death. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill, 1931; London: William Rider, 1931; New York: Arno Press, 1977. * Earth Horizon (autobiography). Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1932; Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1991. * Can Prayer Be Answered?. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1934. * One Hundred Miles on Horseback (first published essay 1887). Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop, 1963. *''Beyond Borders: Selected essays'' (edited by Reuben J. Ellis). Carbondale, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1996. *''Mary Austin's Southwest: An anthology of her literary criticism'' (edited by Chelsea Blackbird & Barney Nelson). Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah Press, 2005. Juvenile * The Basket Woman: A book of Indian tales for children. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1910; St. Clair Shores, MI: Scholarly Press, 1969. * The Trail Book (illustrated by Milo Winter). Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1918. Collected editions *''A Mary Austin Reader'' (edited by Esther F. Lanigan). Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press, 1996. *''Essential Mary Austin: A selection of Mary Austin's best writing'' (edited by Kevin Hearle). Santa Clara, CA: Santa Clara University / Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 2006. Translated * The American Rhythm: Amerindian Songs, reëxpressed from the originals. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1923; **also published as The American rhythm : studies and reëxpressions of Amerindian songs. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1930. Letters *''Literary America, 1903-1934: The Mary Austin letters'' (edited by T.M. Pearce). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1979. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Mary Austin, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, May 21, 2015. See also *List of U.S. poets References * Hoffman, Abraham, "Mary Austin, Stafford Austin, and the Owens Valley," Journal of the Southwest, 53 (Autumn–Winter 2011), 305–22. * Notes External links ;Poems *Mary Austin in Poetry: A magazine of verse, 1912-1922: "Neither Spirit Nor Bird," "Prayer to the Mountain Spirit," "The Eagle's Song," "The Grass on the Mountain," "Black Prayers," "New Mexican Love Song," "I Do Not Know," "Whence?," "Unworthy Love" *Mary Austin at PoemHunter (22 poems) ;Books * * [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/calbk.vg17 The Land of Little Rain] at the Library of Congress (scanned images and text) ;Audio / video * Eleven short readings from Austin's work at California Legacy Project. * ;About *Mary Austin in the Encyclopædia Britannica *Mary Hunter Austin (1868-1934) at Owens Valley History * Mary Austin page, with links to works and reviews. * ;Etc. * Mary Hunter Austin Collection at the Autry National Center * The Austins' house, now California Historical Landmark 229 Category:1868 births Category:1934 deaths Category:Writers from California Category:American autobiographers Category:American essayists Category:American memoirists Category:20th-century American novelists Category:American women novelists Category:Blackburn College (Illinois) alumni Category:Mojave Desert Category:Owens Valley Category:People from Inyo County, California Category:People from Macoupin County, Illinois Category:Writers from Santa Fe, New Mexico Category:American women writers Category:Women memoirists Category:Women essayists Category:20th-century women writers